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Patriots special teams ace Matthew Slater was thrilled to be selected to his first Pro Bowl this season.

He's also thrilled to be missing the game, which was played Sunday night. He has a much more pressing engagement -- getting ready for Super Bowl 46 next Sunday.

“Well, I was hoping all along that I wouldn’t play in it,” Slater said. “The first thing coach Belichick told me when he told me I made it was, ‘You’re not playing in it.’ I was happy to receive the honor but I’m happy I’m not playing in the game.”

“It was an honor to be selected to the Pro Bowl, and it means a lot to be selected by my peers and coaches and fans. Obviously I’d rather be here with my team competing for the ultimate goal. I’ll probably go watch that game later this evening, but there’s no place I’d rather be right now than here in Indianapolis.”